


Sometimes you have got to crack the pavement to bloom

by Paintingmyfearsred



Category: Bandoms, Twenty One Pilots
Genre: i don't know how to tag, it was the text I wrote for my exams, this is my first fanfiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-23
Updated: 2017-01-23
Packaged: 2018-09-19 13:20:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9442442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Paintingmyfearsred/pseuds/Paintingmyfearsred
Summary: This is my first story, hope you enjoy!Josh is starting a new school, with a bad past. He is anxious, and would rather be anywhere else.At the school, he meets some people who may make it all worth.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is a text I wrote for my pre-exams. It is roughly 5 hours of working, unedited after I sent it in. I have kind of vented everything I have struggled with or thought of into this piece of text. I hope you enjoy :)

Josh looked out the car window, the lifeless autumn scenery becoming a dark blur as the car speeded past. He could feel his mothers eyes in the back of his head. She was worried now, but nowadays she was always worried. Josh thought that he was the failure son. Where his other siblings excelled at school and sports, Josh barely got through. Being the youngest was hard, especially coming from a family with genius children. The teachers at his school expected him to be the best, but they quickly realized that they wouldn't have another genius student. What they had now was a victim, a person they called on for answers that they knew he couldn't answer. A person they could make an example of. The other students caught on, and the mocking started shortly after.

Josh quit sports, skipped classes and handed in his homework late, if even at all. He stayed home, but not to play video games or watch tv. No, it wasn't like that. He never left his room, not even when his mom called him and his siblings down for dinner. He didn't respond to anyone, even though his siblings tried so hard, and when his phone kept flaring up with cruel messages on Twitter and Instagram from his classmates, he stopped charging it. 

This kept going on for days, even weeks on end. But there is a limit for how much a person can waste away, and when Josh passed out in the hallway in his own home from malnourishment because he skipped meals, his mother had enough. She couldn't bear the thought of finding her son like that again, his small body lying alone in the hallway for who knows how long. So she brought measures into her own hands. She called a psychologist that specialized in teenage behavior, setting up a meeting at the first opportunity she got.

Which leads us here; to a boy diagnosed with social anxiety and low-grade depression, having mandatory meetings with a psychologist twice a week, on his way to a new school at the other side of town. Maria, his mother, couldn't believe it had come to this. From all the attempts she had made to figure out what was bothering her youngest son, her little baby, she hadn't in her wildest dreams thought that the whole school had been bullying her child. 

The car slowed down, coming to a full stop outside a huge brick building. Josh looked out the window and shrunk deeper into himself, arms hugging his legs in a desperate attempt to become one with the car seat. He didn't want to go, not in there. It would all be the same, just like his last school. He would come in, people would mock him, call him names and the teachers would oversee it, not give a shit about what the others did to him. He would be alienated. Maybe that wasn't so bad, he sure felt like that. An alien, even in his own home.

He hadn't realized that his hands were shaking before his mother grabbed them in hers, making him look up at her. She smiled sadly at him, knowing it would be hard for him, a huge challenge, to start anew. But he needed this, more than anyone. Their eyes met, and his mother leaned in for a hug.

"Remember, I'm only a phone call way. If you feel like you can't make it through the day just walk to the office and I'll come get you." She smiled sadly at him, before motioning for him to open the car door. Josh took a deep breath, before opening the door, swiftly stepping out.

As he walked up the steps to the main doors, he notices the eyes following his every move. He suppose it isn't that weird, it isn't often that new students transfers in, 3 months before summer vacation, but it makes him want to curl into himself, to fade into oblivion. He takes a ragged breath, before continuing what now feels like a funeral march. 

After quickly walking into the schools office to retrieve his schedule and drop of his emergency medication, he is escorted to class by the nice office lady, Gladys, who rambled on about the schools architecture, social clubs and classes. "And dear, you will absolutely adore the columns in the schools library, they have been a symbol of the schools stability and unity for as long as t-"

She suddenly stops outside a door, turning on her heel to face him. With a borderline embarrassed smile she motions towards the door with her left hand . "I'm probably boring you sweetheart, and we are here so I should let you get to class. This is the last one before lunch, and it started 15 minutes ago, so we are a bit late." she says, giving him a kind smile before opening the door.

Josh really wish she hadn't. All eyes turn to him, standing in the doorway with a face expression that screams discomfort. Tugging nervously at the arms of his a-size-to-big black sweatshirt, he slowly raises a hand in a wave and utters a quiet "Hello". Thankfully, the teacher wastes no time, and quickly addresses his name to the class before assigning him a seat next to the lanky boy with big, auburn eyes at the desk at the front of the room. Josh hurriedly takes his seat, notebook and pen at the ready, trying as hard as he can to ignore the people around him and focus on the equations the teacher is writing on the board. 

He feels the eyes of the boy beside him the whole period, but is thankful that he didn't try to strike up a conversation. Josh really needed to get this class right, to make his mother proud. He felt so guilty for worrying her, making her take time of to help him help himself, he couldn't afford distractions. Sure, having a friend would be nice, but he didn't deserve one. That was what his former friends said at least. If he was so stupid, how could they even talk to him. He was probably to dumb to understand a thing they said.

The class ended with a loud, ear-numbing ring and the students around him jumped up and was out the door before he even could put his pen down. He was completely alone, even the teacher had left for lunch period. Slowly he packed his bag, and walked out the door with his face in a downcast and somber expression. That is, until a hand grabbed his and he spun around quickly pulling his hand back and looking up to see who grabbed him. It was the boy he sat with in class, the one with the auburn eyes. The same eyes that now stared directly into Josh's.

"You're Josh right? The new kid? We sit together in math." He trailed of, looking for any sign that Josh remembered who he was. Josh slowly nodded, and the boys face lit up like a child's do on Christmas morning. He put his hand out for Josh to shake, wiggling his bony fingers in a playful matter. Josh skeptically raised his own and as their hands clasped he was pulled in to a half-hug half-shake while the boy introduced himself.

"The name is Tyler! You looked a bit nervous, so I thought you might need someone to show you the ropes around here." Tyler looked expectedly at him, and it took a while before Josh realized that he was waiting for a response. He quickly in his head played out what could happen. This could all be part of some elaborate plan, or Tyler could be giving him a genuine offer to help. His mom had said that going back to school would be a challenge, but he had to take chances if he wanted to change the way his life was going. So, in a moment of doubt, Josh said a nervous "yes". Tyler smiled at him, laid his arm over Josh's shoulder and down the hallway they walked. Josh didn't know what it was, but he felt at ease with Tyler. The boy was excitedly telling him about the school, hands delicately moving in exited motions to underline the importance of the stories he was telling.

As they walked into the cafeteria, the temporary calmness all washed away. The loud noises, the crammed room full of people and Josh felt like he couldn't breathe. His hands started shaking, and he saw in the corner of his eyes that Tyler looked at him, concerned. He briskly leaded Josh through through the crowds until they reached a semi-secluded table at the back of the room. Three other people were there, and when Tyler and Josh reached the table the conversation quieted down and they all looked expectedly at them. Tyler introduced Josh quickly, before settling down at one of the empty seats, motioning for Josh to do the same. As soon as he sat down, the three people at the table introduced themselves. Patrick, Gerard and Brendon was Tyler's friends, had been since first grade. 

After introductions they continued their previous conversation, leaving Josh and Tyler to their own devices. Josh was grateful. He wasn't good with people, he never was, especially after the events that had played out at his last school. But somehow, Tyler was different. The conversation, only a bit hesitant, flowed easily between the two boys, the anxiety drifting slowly away for a small period of time. They kept talking, even after the bell rang. Josh hadn't felt this free in months, nor as happy as he did now, managing to have a conversation with topics ranging from music taste to which food was the most horrid and everything in between. He had a smile on his face all day.

Later, when his mother came to pick him up she was worried, her head bursting with scenarios of what could have happened. What she hadn't thought she'd see was her son walking out of the school doors, a boy hanging over his shoulder gesticulating excitedly with his hands as they were engrossed in conversation. And she'd never thought she would see the smile her boy played on his lips, face screwed up in a silent laughter as he talked to the other boy.

Maria watched as they boys said goodbye, smiles prominent before they parted ways. Josh walked towards the old beat-up car, opened the door and slowly lowered himself into the passenger seat. He looked up at his mother, and muttered quietly "I think I made a friend". He was smiling, seemingly lost in his own thoughts as Maria started the car, slowly but exited the parking lot and drove of, heading home. Although this time, the road didn't seem as bleak, or as hopeless. The sun shined through the dreary rain clouds, lighting up the leaf cowered road, making it look like a beautiful picture. Josh wore a small smile the rest of the day, his eyes lighting up as they once did before everything bad happened.

Josh's friendship with Tyler continued to blossom. The days, weeks and then months that followed Josh became more happy, more open. He was still every day was challenged by his anxiety and depression, both never quite leaving. The fear that his newfound friends would abandon him, even resent him for who he was were always there. But they dulled down around Tyler. And later around Brendon, Gerard and Patrick as they too became good friends. They didn't care about the fact that he wasn't a straight A student, they cared about him. And only him , not what others wanted him to be,

But then they found out about what had happened at his old school. And the pity and horrified expressions that met him when he came to school that day, when he saw what they were looking at on their phones made him shut down. He couldn't even look at them in the eyes anymore, cause they knew. Theyknewtheyknewtheyknewtheyknew. He turned on his heel, and ran. He'd never ran as fast as this before. Calling his mother on the way outside, she was already there, hadn't even got the chance to leave the school parking lot. She cast one look at her sons distressed face, buckled him up cause his hands were shaking too much and then she drove of.

When they got home, Josh stayed in his room for the rest of the day, and didn't get up the next morning. His mother was worried. What could have happened? She got her answer right after, cause when she opened up the door, Tyler and his friends were standing outside. They wore sad expressions, and when they showed her their phones, and all the messages from Josh's old bullies, she quickly understood.

Gesturing towards the stairs, she led the way to Josh's room, knocking softly at the door before telling the boys they could enter. They all broke at the sight of Josh, curled up and unresponsive in his bed, sheets undone and and only his curly hair sticking out from the blanket cocoon he had made for himself. The boys made their way over to him, saying reassuring words as they helped him sit up.

Josh couldn't believe his own ears, and if he hadn't see them in front of him he would think he only made it up in his head. Cause they were there. They wouldn't leave him, they cared. And having them there, was better than enduring his anxiety alone. Tyler went up to him, taking his hands in his as Patrick, Gerard and Brendon all sat down on his bed, giving him hugs and smiling at him. He looked at Tyler, then at their joined hands before Tyler spoke up.

"You know Pete, Patrick's friend, told me one thing. And that is that sometimes, you've got to crack the pavement to bloom. And Josh, you have done it, okay? You have endured so much hate, and pain from others over nothing. And we, they guys and I, we don't care what they think. Cause you have grown on us, and we have grown on you."

They all smiled at him. They all cared. And Josh felt so happy, cause he had won. He had come back from the black hole he was in, he had taken on the challenge of going back, starting anew and he had won. He had changed his future, he had changed the outcome and he was finally happy. And he had never felt happier than with the people that was in his room. Cause he was so, so lucky and this new chance that he got, the chance of a new life, he would never let it waste away.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! If you have any feedback for future writing, I would really appreciate if you left a comment. Any feedback is good feedback, even if you think I suck at writing :)


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